Discussion Topic - Newspapers and Magazines
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Discussion Topic - Newspapers and Magazines
Part 1: Introduction & Interview
Q. 1. Which magazines and newspapers do you read? [Why?]
Answer: I like to read daily newspapers (like the daily ... and the daily ...) and news magazines like “The Courier” and “The Holiday” because they allow me to learn about the latest news and trends that are shaping our world and society.
Q. 2. What kinds of articles are you most interested in? [Why?]
Answer: I like to read travel-related articles most because they allow me to learn about different interesting places in the world along with the cultures, traditions, and lifestyles of the people who live in those places. I also like to read articles on computer technology because I like to play with my computers some times.
Q. 3. Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language? [When/Why?]
Answer: Yes, I do read newspapers and magazines in English (as English is not my native language), in addition to reading newspapers and magazines in my native language, because it allows me to learn and understand the news in a more objective manner.
Q. 4. Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do think that reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language because, though this practice, we can understand how different kinds of expressions are made in that language as well as different kinds of usage of certain words or phrases.
Q. 5. Do you read a newspaper daily? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do read a newspaper daily (I actually read more than one newspaper) mostly on the internet because it helps me to keep myself updated with the important news and views around my world in a more accurate manner. These newspapers are a good source of entertainment and information as well.
Part 3: Details Discussion
Q. 1. What’s the difference between a newspaper and a magazine?
Answer: Even though, both the newspaper and magazine are print media, there are significant differences between them. For example, newspapers are published mostly on a daily basis which contain mostly short articles and cover a broad range of news in the past 24 hours or so, magazines are published less often – usually weekly or monthly – which mostly focus on specific subjects in much more details. Another major difference between them is that newspapers are usually cheap, but magazines are more expensive because they are printed on high quality, glossy papers. Finally, magazines are usually bigger in size than newspapers.
Q. 2. Do you think the government should censor the press whenever required?
Answer: In principle, the government shouldn’t censor the press, whenever required, primarily because it suppresses the freedom of speech which is absolutely essential to reinforce all other human rights in a society. Besides, press censorship prevents ‘the truths” from coming out in the public which can work against the interests of the weak and the less-privileged section of our society. Finally, press censorship allows the government ‘unlimited’ power to oppress its “political opponents” at will. Having said that, however, in some situations, “press censorship” may be needed when there are risks of ‘anarchy’ and “violence” due to fake news or “ill-motivated” news.
Q. 3. How have newspapers changed over the last few decades in your country?
Answer: In the past, newspapers have weathered many storms, but in the last few decades or so, it has seen a significant decline in its readership and also that of as most people’s source of daily news because of the introduction of satellite TV channels and, of course, the internet. In fact, both the television and the internet bring news to the consumers much faster and in a more “visually-appealing” manner than newspapers. Besides, because of these “new media”, newspapers haven’t only lost much of its “advertising” revenues, but also incurring more and more losses because of the increasing burden of expensive union contracts, printing presses, delivery fleets and other overhead over the last few decades.
Q. 4. Is it easier to share news today than it was in the past?
Answer: Yes, I would say that it is much easier to share news today than the past because of the easy availability of a wide variety of devices today, such as satellite television, FM radio, online version of newspapers and magazines, computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets and e-readers, which were not available in the past. Besides, since people can access these devices anytime and from anywhere, be it at homes, offices or on the roads, sharing news 24/7 is not an issue today at all.
Q. 5. Which one is more important – domestic or international news? Why?
Answer: In my humble opinion, I would say that both the domestic and international news are important today primarily because we are living in a “globalized” world where we are connected to each other economically and culturally more than ever before. In other words, whatever happens in one part of the world ends up affecting many others in another part, one way or another. Therefore, trying to attach a certain level of importance on the news, by calling them “domestic” and “international”, would seriously curtail our efforts and abilities to deal with many of the important issues which our world is facing today.
Q. 6. With the popularity of the Internet, do you think newspapers and magazines will disappear in the future?
Answer: Yes, I think that newspapers and magazines would most likely disappear in the distant future, if not in the immediate future, in their current forms with the rise in popularity of the internet primarily because more and more internet users are turning online to receive all kinds of news and information for free in one go without actually having to worry about damaging or losing it. Besides, some argue that newspapers and magazines aren’t exactly very environment-friendly and cheap to print these days because it takes tones of wood materials, lots of electricity and many delivery tracks to produce and transport the papers. And, therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we find that they are suddenly disappeared one day.
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